Chapter 2
RYDER
“Pour me another Scotch, Eli.” He gives me a pitying look as he pushes the glass across the bar for me.
“Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Giving me the same sad eyes everyone else around here has been doing recently. Poor Ryder, can’t keep his sub satisfied.” I sling back my drink and ask him to top it up.
“There is no pity here, bro. No one thinks that.”
“The only way you know that is because everyone’s talking about it. Fucking whore.”
“If you care to know, that’s the sentiment around here. Nothing to do with you and everything to do with Tessa’s cheating ass.”
“Women are self-serving. I thought subs were different, but at the end of the day, pussy is fickle. It’s Daniel I can’t get over. Fucking another Dom’s sub behind his back crosses every line.”
“He’s a dick. Always has been.”
“I forget that you are all-seeing up in here,” I jest.
“Seriously, man, don’t sweat it. Everyone is pissed.”
“The thing that gets me is her lack of respect for consent.”
“How so?” He slides another glass my way.
“Everything we do here is based on consent. If you want to have a three-way, go for it when everyone agrees. I didn’t consent to fucking her pussy when she’d been giving it to someone else the same fucking day.
If I wanted to fuck a cunt with cum dripping out of it, I’d have taken Tessa up to the voyeur floor and indulged in sex with a willing third party. ”
“TMI, brother.” I forget that Eli isn’t into this messed-up shit.
“Sorry. I just need to go and find a sub for the night.”
“Are you sure about that? You’ve had a lot to drink.”
“I’m fine.” I’m absolutely not fine, and I don’t engage in punishment when I’ve been drinking, but fucking is something else entirely. In fact, I enjoy the buzz.
“What do you do when you want to destress?”
“Fuck.”
“Okay, but outside of the club.” He looks at me expectantly, and it’s almost cute.
“I’ll fuck anywhere.” He throws his head back and laughs.
“You know what I mean.”
“Honestly, between the restaurant and here, I don’t have time for anything else.”
“We should go to the batting cages one night. It’s a good way to blow off steam.”
“You’re a baseball fan?” There’s a fleeting wince on his face.
“I played pro ball.”
“What? How the fuck didn’t I know this?” He busies himself stacking glasses.
“I don’t talk about it. It’s a bit of a sore spot, literally and figuratively. I blew out my knee my second season with the Marlins.”
“Fuck me, you were legit!” That makes him smile.
“Yeah. I guess. But that was a different life.”
“We should absolutely go to the cages. I’m sure some of the guys would want to come if you’re up for it. You can show us your mad skills.”
“I’m a bit rusty, but let’s do it.”
“Just hit me up this week.”
“Will do.”
“Can I get another? I’m going to head upstairs to watch for a while.” Without another word, and a slightly disapproving look on his face, Eli pours me a Scotch neat. “Thanks, bro.” I leave a large tip on the bar and head for the voyeur floor.
I hate to admit it to Flex, but level two is the reason I stuck around here at Venom. I’ve always loved my private room, and it has its place, but I’m a voyeur. I want to watch. I need a sub who wants to get down and dirty while I watch.
As I ascend the ornate staircase, the energy changes as the voyeur floor comes into view.
It’s a living, breathing, pulsing entity, as too many people to count engage in the best kind of debauchery.
I weave my way through the crowd, my eyes fixed on a pretty blonde on the far side of the bar.
She’s watching a petite woman being fucked in every hole at the same time. I can understand her rapt attention.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I say as I gesture to see if this seat is taken.
She smiles up at me for a split second before returning her attention to all four participants.
“Hey. You’re Ryder Stevens, right?”’
“Yeah. And you are?”
“Samantha.”
“Are they friends of yours?” I take a sip of my drink before ordering another and whatever the lady is drinking.
“I like to play with all three of them.”
I follow her line of sight. God, that sub is taking it well.
She’s deepthroating who I now realize is Ford Hannigan.
I haven’t seen him in a while, but he’s definitely enjoying himself up here.
He doesn’t care about watching, but he fucking loves being watched.
He and I tag team at times, but we don’t cross swords.
It’s not really my thing, although I think he’d be up for it.
This girl is pretty, but she’s a sloppy submissive. I’ve seen her getting belligerent with a Dom in the past. Not that it matters for one night. I just need to fuck Tessa out of my system.
“So, are you going to fuck me?” Wow. She’s direct. I’ll give her that.
“When were you last tested?” It may not be romantic, but I never fuck without asking.
“Last week. I’m clean.” She doesn’t reciprocate, which is bad practice, but she’s not about to be my forever sub. I thought that’s what I wanted, but after recent events, I think I’ll stick to the playroom.
“Then take your clothes off and show me why I should fuck you.”
“Yes, Master Stevens.” It’s not my preferred name, but I don’t care enough to correct her.”
She slowly strips out of her dress before discarding it on the floor, along with her underwear. She does have a banging body, and I watch as she lets her hands roam her naked flesh, slipping between her legs. Now she’s drawing a few eyes as she sways to the music.
“Safeword?”
“Burn.” She continues to tease herself as a few people come to watch her. There’s a male sub I’ve had join scenes before.
“Joshua, come over here.” He does as he’s asked, obedient as always. He knows if I’m looking for him, he’s getting laid by whatever sub is wetting my dick.
“Samantha. I want you to let Joshua fuck your ass so I can watch. Then, I’ll fuck that sweet little cunt of yours. Do you want that, princess?”
“Yes, Master Stevens.”
“Joshua, would you like to fuck Samantha’s ass so I can watch her take your dick like a good little whore?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Proceed.”
The rest of the night is a blur of drinks and pussy. By the time I pour myself into a cab and head home, I’m completely spent and yet agonizingly empty.
The plans for the new restaurant at Venom have been keeping me busy over the past few weeks.
I’m pulling shifts at Dulip and then meeting with Flex around midnight to go over the specs for the kitchen.
I know exactly what I want, and money isn’t an issue this time around.
I had to watch every last dime when I fitted Dulip.
By the time we finish, I’m going up to the voyeur level at two and losing myself in the crowd for a while, drinking my way through more than my share of Scotch before falling into bed. Cook. Fuck. Rinse. Repeat, week after week.
Today is a rare deviation from my routine.
“Whoa! Did you see that hit? Fuck me.” Flex grabs the bat from Eli, inspecting the rather impressive crack. I can always count on the guys to lift me out of a sour mood. We all came to the batting cages tonight, and now I know why Eli suggested it. He’s a fucking beast with the bat.
Dalton grabs a bat and steps up to the plate. “Of course, I have to follow that shit. I’ll be lucky if I can hit the damn thing.” It’s amusing to see something that Dalton isn’t good at. The guy is always so cool, calm, and collected. He manages to connect, but the ball doesn’t exactly soar.
“Bro, that was embarrassing,” Carter says as he steps up.
“You better hope you get a better hit if you’re going to trash talk,” I quip.
“I’ve got this. This isn’t my first rodeo.” Carter hands me the bat, and I step up to the plate. The sound of the ball smashing off the bat is music to my ears, and I have the biggest, smuggest grin on my face as I turn to my friends.
“How the hell did you learn to hit like that?”
“I may or may not have gotten a few pointers from a friend.”
“And the friend is?” Pierce probes.
“Lincoln Nash.” They all erupt in laughter that I’ve hoodwinked them tonight.
“The fucking Yankees! Are you kidding me?”
“He frequents Dulip, and we became friends.”
“And you had us all thinking you’d be shit at something. We were ready to laugh our asses off.”
“You remember we’re here because my sub cheated on me. You’re supposed to be cheering me up.”
“No can do, bro,” Flex asserts. “I was on death’s door a few months ago. It’s still all about me.” I burst out laughing. Of course, Flex gives me some perspective.
“How long are we all going to endure the I-almost-died trump card?”
He puts his hand on my shoulder. “Until you realize that you’re better off. Tessa wasn’t that hot, and she’s a bitch. It’s not like you didn’t let other guys fuck her. Just consider this handing her off to someone more on her level. Daniel’s a little bitch too.”
“She was hot.”
Dalton throws his head back in disbelief. “That’s what you took from everything he just said?”
The others start cackling as Pierce steps up to the plate. I guarantee he’s going to knock it out of the park. His hand-eye coordination is insane. Operating on people’s brains requires otherworldly skill.
“Ten bucks says he smashes it.” Let’s make this more interesting.
“I’m not taking that bet,” Flex jibes. “He’s hitting it.”
Just as he’s about to take a swing, his pager goes off. This is the reality of the lives he saves. They come at a price. He’s always one phone call away from emergency surgery.
“I need to go. Sorry, guys. A patient needs a craniotomy now if he’s going to live through the night.”
“Thanks for coming, bro.” We slap each other on the back.
“Remember, she wasn’t your person.”
“I don’t think I have a person.”
“That’s what I said before I met Freya. She’ll catch you off guard when you least expect it.”
“Later, brother.” He says goodbye to everyone before heading toward his car at a jog.
“He’s right. I thought Helena and I were going to be a friends-with-benefits situation, and then she became the center of my world.”